Hi there - welcome to the world of horseradish and sinus-clearing!! You're right - it's that time of year. I just go pick it (it will spread like wildfire each year - good luck keeping under control) and wash it, cut off any really dark spots, and then scrape it with potato peeler. It's such a fibrous root, that the only thing that I've found that gets it to the texture I like is my Oster food grinder - I've tried the blender and the food processor, but doesn't work very well. - I use the coarse grinding blade first to tame it, then put it thru again with the finer blade. By the time I come to the end of the grinding, my eyes and nose are burning and running and the entire house smells. My husband comes up from the basement to see what's going on! I end up opening all the windows in the kitchen.

When I'm done with the grinding part, I start adding white vinegar, a little salt, a little sugar until it's the consistancy and taste I want, I don't like it too dry, nor do I like it too soupy. Sometimes I separate a little aside, and add the liquid from canned beets along with the other ingredients to color it bright pink - this I use at Easter.

I usually just make a couple of jars because it starts losing it's potency everytime you open the jar (I save small peanut butter jars, or something like that that has the rubberized lids) and just store them in the refrigerator. I use the small jars because it loses potency faster in a large jar.

I have never frozen it, nor really "preserved" it in any way other than this. Have a good time - there's nothing like it on so many things. That first little dab of the new batch that takes the top of your head off is so great!